Electrically locked control switch



July 28, 1936. J. F. MERKEL 2,049,397

ELECTRICAIQLY LOCKED CONTROL SWITCH Filed Jan. 26, 1932 FIG. 1.

Patented July 28, 1936 UNlTED STATES ELECTBICALLY LOCKED CONTROL SWITJoseph F. General N. Y.

Merkel, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Railway Signal Company,,Rochester,

Application January 26, 1932, Serial No. 588,895

10 Claims.

This invention relates to control switches for railway trafliccontrolling devices, and more particularly to a toggle switch which maybe electrically locked against operation.

In controlling certain railway traflic controlling devices, such aselectrically operated track switches, it is often the practice to employa local control relay which is definitely positioned by manual controlmeans to effect a corresponding operation of the track switch. A compactmanually operable control switch may then be employed to position thiscontrol relay from any convention point as the actual power for theswitch operation is not transmitted or controlled over the energizingcircuit for this relay. It is considered necessary in railway signallingpractice to provide some means for preventing unsafe operation of aswitch machine thus controlled or for example a means which prevents theexecution of a new operated position of such a switch machine while atrain is occupying a section of the track which is dangerously close tothe switch.

In view of the above, it is proposed in accordance with this inventionto provide a simple and compact toggle switch having an electricallyactuated lock which may prevent operation of the switch to a newposition when certain conditions warrant such a precaution. It is alsoproposed to provide such an electrically actuated locking means which isadjustable to prevent operation of the switch in either its energized orits de-energized condition.

Other objects, purposes and characteristic features of the inventionwill appear as the description thereof progresses, during whichreferences will be made to the accompanying drawing which shows theinvention in a manner to make it easily understood, rather than with theview of showing the particular construction preferably employed inpractice, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an electrically locked switchaccording to the present invention arranged to control an electricallyoperated track switch.

Fig. 2 is a sectional top view of an electrically lockedswitch inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of Fig. 2 with certain parts shown insection.

With reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the switch of the present inventionessentially comprises a frame F having upper and lower extensions F and.F by which the switch unit may be attached to a front plate I such as byscrews 2 which are threaded into rectangular members 3. The plate I maythen be mounted for convenient operation such as on a control panel 4 bya bolt 5 which may have the switch number on the head thereof. v Anoperating arm 0, having a handle 6 at one 5 end and an operating andlocking pin 1 at the other end, is arranaged to pivot about a pin 8secured to the frame F. Projections 9 on the arm O are arranged to limitboth extreme positions by striking against cushioning strips l 0 made ofsuitable material such as leather secured to the frame extensions F andF A contact operating arm C is pivotaily mounted on a through bolt I2and is actuated by a beyond center movement of the operating arm 0through a toggle spring arrangement. This toggle spring arrangementcomprises two similar insulated connecting links l3 engaging apin M atthe end of the contact operating arm C and having slots receiving thepin I at the end. of the operating arm 0, which connecting'links carry aspring maintained between insu ating washers l6 one bearing against thepin 1 and the other against enlarged heads of the connecting links I3.The elongated slots in the connecting links H which receive the pin Iobviously permit the spring IE to be compressed by a movement of theoperating arm 0 to a center position and this compressed spring thenquickly forces the contact operating arm C to its opposite extremeposition by a further movement of the operating arm 0 beyond its centerposition. v

A hollow insulating member i I surrounding the contact arm C is held inthe frame F by the pivoting through bolt l2 and on the top side of thisinsulating member are clamped an upper contact spring I! and a lowercontact spring l8 having projecting means for'securing external wireconnections. The lower side of the insulating member carries similarupper and lower contact springs l9 and 20, which contact springs areclamped together with the top spring to the insulating member Ii bythrough bolts 22 and 23. The inside contacts 18 and iii are shaped so asto be biased against an operating head 24 secured to the end of thecontact operating arm C, thus efiectin'g that either contacts [9 and 20or contacts I1 rid it are engaged according to the position of thecontact operating arm C.

Beneath the switch just described is mounted an electric lock mechanismwith a bracket 26 secured to the frame F by screws 21 and the throughbolt l2 both of which pass through elongated slots in the bracket 26.This lock comprises an iron-clad magnet M having a core 28 secured tothe bracket 26 by nuts 29 and is operable to attract an armature A whichis biased to a retracted position by a spring 3i. The retracted or thede-energized position of the armature A is limited by a member 32secured to the magnet M by screws 33 which member serves to hold thespring 3i and stops the armature A by its upturned end.

The armature A has two extending locking arms 35 and 3B which have theirends inturned to project through slots 31 and 38 in the frame F. Theseinturned ends of the arms 35 and 36 move into the path of the pin 1 ofthe operating arm 0 whenever locking magnet M is de-energized and thusprevent sufiicient movement of the operating arm 0 to efiect movement ofthe contact operating arm C. It is obvious that these arms 35 and 36when the magnet is in energized condition as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3,are out of the path of the pin 1 and thus permit operation of theoperating arm 0.

The slots in the mounting member 26 which hold the bolt l2 and screws 2!permit bodily shifting of the locking arrangement to a position in whichthese arms 35 and 36 are in the path of the pin 1 when the magnet M isenergized, and produces the same locking eiTect as is produced by thede-energized condition when the locking arrangement is adjusted asillustrated in the accompanying drawing. The slots 3! and 38 in theframe F being sufliciently long, permit these locking arms 35 and 36when the locking arrangement is in this shifted position to move to aposition which clears the pin 1 when the armature A assumes ade-energized position thus permitting, by the adjustment of the lockmounting means to select at will whether operation of the switch ispermitted when the lock is de-energized or when it is energized.

The armature A of the locking mechanism is loosely held by the member 32so that when in a position effecting the locking of the switch, anystrain due to an attempted operation is resisted by the pin 1 forcingthe inturned ends of the locking arms 35 and 36 against the sides of theframe slots 3'! and 38 instead of allowing such strain to be resisted bythe locking mechanism.

The typical application of the present invention, shown in Fig. 1, showsa section of track T including a track TS which is electrically operatedby a switch machine SM. This switch machine SM has a conventionalpolarized control relay CR arranged to govern its operated position overcircuits selected by its contact 40, which control relay is definitelypositioned by a two position manually operable switch S of the typeshown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The locking magnet M is diagrammaticallyshown as preventing movement of the control switch when de-energized andits control is shown as through a front contact 4| of a track relay TRwhich is in turn governed by the occupancy of a track section includingthe switch TS. It is thus obvious that a train occupying this insulatedtrack section effects the dropping of the track relay TR thusde-energizing the locking magnet M and preventing the movement of theswitch S to change the position of the track switch TS. In installationswhere it is desirable to have the switch S locked when the magnet M islie-energized, the locking mechanism is adjusted accordingly in a mannerpreviously described and its energizing circuit is arranged to be comleted at a back or tie-energized contact of relay TR.

An electrically locked toggle switch has thus been shown and describedas one specific embodiment of the present invention which is compact andsimple in its design, provides contact means which are quick acting andwhich may be electrically locked against operation by a simple andsturdy mechanical locking arrangement. The locking mechanism possessesthe further advantage of an adjustment which permits locking of theswitch against operation by a de-energized condition 01' the lockingmagnet or by a simple adjustment it may be arranged to eifect thislocking when in an energized condition, which adjustment enables thelocking arrangement to be adapted to the requirements of the particularapplication.

The above rather specific description of one form or the presentinvention is given wholly by way of example and is not intended in anymanner whatsoever in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood thatvarious modifications, adaptations and alterations may be applied tomeet the requirements of practice without in any manner departing fromthe spirit or scope of the present invention except as limited by theappended claims.

Having thus shown and described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. In a manually operable control switch for railway trafiic controllingdevices, a pivoted operating arm having operating means at one end and atransverse pin fixed at the other end, a pivoted contact actuating arm,compression spring means arranged to snap-actuate said contact actuatingarm to a definite position by a respective beyond-center movement ofsaid operating arm, an electro-magnet, and an armature positioned bysaid electro-magnet to assume a position in or out of the path of saidtransverse pin of the operating arm.

2. In a manually operable control switch for railway traflic controllingdevices, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm, toggle spring meanscarried between said arms whereby said contact actuating arm issnap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by a correspondingbeyond-center operation of said operating arm and an electro-magneticlock comprising an electromagnet, and an armature operable to preventeffective movement of said operating arm.

3. In a manually operable control switch for railway traflic controllingdevices, an operating arm. a contact actuating arm, toggle spring meanscarried between said arms whereby said contact actuating arm issnap-actuated to either 01' two distinct positions by a correspondingbeyond-center movement of said operating arm and an electro-magneticlock comprising an electromagnet and an armature attractable by saidelectro-magnet to prevent suflicient movement of said operating arm tomove said contact actuating arm.

4. In a manually operable control switch for railway trafilc controllingdevices, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm, toggle spring meanscarried between said arms whereby said contact actuating arm issnap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by a correspondingbeyond-center movement of said operating arm and an electro-magneticlock comprising an electromagnet, and an armature biased to a positionwhich prevents sufilcient movement of said operating arm to move saidcontact actuating arm. said armature being attractable by saidelectromagnet to a. position allowing free movement of said operatingarm.

5. In a control switch, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm,toggle spring means carried by said arms whereby said contact actuatingarm is snap-actuatedto either of two distinct positions by acorresponding beyond-center movement of said operating arm and anelectromagnetic lock comprising an electro-magnet, a locking armatureoperable by said electro-magnet and adjustable mounting means for saidelectro-magnet and said locking armature whereby said electro-magneticlock may be selectively rendered either effective to lock said operatingarm during a de-energized condition of said electromagnet or eflectiveto lock said operating arm during an energized condition of saidelectromagnet.

6. In a control switch, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm,toggle spring means carried by said arms whereby said contact actuatingarm is snap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by movement ofsaid operating arm, an electro-magnet, an armature operated by saidelectro-magnet, locking arms on said armature arranged to selectivelyprevent eilfective operation of said operating arm according to theposition of said armature, and guide means for said locking armsarranged to receive force applied to said locking arms by an attemptedoperation of said operating arm.

'7. In a control switch, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm,toggle spring means carried by said arms whereby said contact actuatingarm is snap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by movement oi!said operating arm, an electro-magnet, an armature operated by saidelectro-magnet, locking arms on said armature arranged to selectivelyprevent effective operation oi said operating arm according to theposition of said armature, the armature being loosely mounted, and guidemeans for said locking arms arranged to receive force applied to saidlocking arms by an attempted operation of said operating arm.

8. In a control switch, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm,toggle spring means carried by said arms whereby said contact actuatingarm is snap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by movement ofsaid operating arm, an electro-magnet, an armature operated by saidelectro-magnet, locking arms on said armature arranged to selectivelyprevent eiiective operation of said operating arm according to theposition of said armature, the armature being loosely mounted, and guidemeans, separate from the armature, for said locking arms arranged toreceive force applied to said locking arms by an attempted operation ofsaid operating arm.

9. In a control switch, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm,toggle spring means carried by said arms whereby said contact actuatingarm is snap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by movement ofsaid operating arm, an electro-magnet, an armature operated by saidelectro-magnet, locking means on said armature arranged to selectivelyprevent effective operation of said operating arm according to theposition of said armature, the armature being loosely mounted, and guidemeans, separate from the armature, for said locking means arranged toreceive force applied to said locking means by an attempted operation ofsaid operating arm.

10. In a control switch, an operating arm, a contact actuating arm,toggle spring means carried by said arms whereby said contact actuatingarm is snap-actuated to either of two distinct positions by movement ofsaid operating arm, lock actuating means, lock means arranged toselectively prevent effective operation of the operating arm accordingto the position of the lock actuating means, a loose mounting for thelock actuating means, and guide means for the lock means arranged toreceive force applied to the lock means by an attempted operation ofsaid operating arm.

JOSEPH F. MERKEL.

